Before you dive in... If you want to find out exactly how to prep your skin before a wax, check out my beginner’s guide to waxing at home for a step-by-step tutorial!

“I probably did something in a past life to deserve this” I thought to myself as I lay naked on the table with my legs splayed open like some horrific hybrid of a giant mutant frog and a baby on a changing table.

Equal parts humiliating and painful, every trip I made to the aesthetician seemed to be worse than the last. I am so happy that was the point I promised myself that I’d find a better option.

The Art of At-Home Waxing

Fair play to the ladies who go au naturel- I’d love to do it…. You know... If I actually was the sort of person to live by the feminist mantras I spout after the 4th glass of wine about how “men who can’t handle pubes on a woman are the reason sexualizing minors is a thing now”.

But alas, I’d prefer to confidently prance around in a pair of velvet hotpants, thank you very much.

And for all my troubles, I have now mastered the art of using at home waxing kits and can remove body hair from a-ny-where that it sprouts up.

It wasn’t an easy journey though, that’s fo sho.

The first time I used a home wax kit my living room looked like a scene out of Apocalypse Now.

Having heard my shrill cries of agony, Roger (my cat; so named by my grandmother who apparently saw The Man with the Golden Gun one too many times) came cautiously into the room to investigate. He took one look at me- his pathetic human- contorted on the floor with a mirror under my fanny and discarded wax strips stuck to my naked butt cheek, and honest to Buddha, he puked on the carpet right in front of me.

So yeah, I like to consider that rock bottom.

However, it was only by experiencing such lows that I was able to reach the shores of home waxing higher enlightenment, which I am now about to impart on you, dear reader.

The most important thing I’ve learned is that a good waxing kit makes all the difference.

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot (or...vagina. Depending.)

In this article, I’m going to walk you through the top 10 ultimate waxing kits for every hair removal purpose you could ever think of (no, seriously):

Waxing Kits vs Waxing Strips

While both waxing kits and waxing stripscan be used at home, they differ in a couple of very important ways.

Strips (the type that you rub between your hands to heat up) may be convenient and mess-free, but proper-ass wax kits will almost always outperform their stripper sisters.

Why?

Waxing kits use hot wax which is much better at sticking to your hairs than cold wax strips.

With waxing kits you’ll be able to remove more hairs in a single pull- which makes it a quicker, less painful, and more effective method of hair removal.

Types of Waxing Kits

There are two types of wax that you can use in your waxing kit, each of which is more suited to different types of hair removal.

Soft wax is the type of wax that needs to be applied to the skin using a little spatula (or popsicle stick type thing) in a thin layer, and is removed by pressing a cloth strip on top and pulling.

Soft wax works best on large areas like legs, arms, and lower back.

Hard wax needs to be spread onto your skin in a thick layer, and doesn’t need strips to remove it- you just let it harden a little bit and then pull it off with your fingers.

Hard wax works best on smaller areas with coarse hair, like your bikini area, underarms, and face.

Both hard and soft wax need to be heated before they’re applied, which can either be done in a wax warmer or in a microwave.

If you ask me, warmers are worth it. They don’t cost much, but they absolutely change the home waxing game. Your wax will always be the perfect temperature; it’ll never burn and never get cold (think of it as the self-grooming equivalent of a rice cooker).

The reviews below include both types (products 1-5 include wax warmers, and 6-10 do not), so you can evaluate each according to your own preference.

The Top 10 Waxing Kits Countdown

Best Wax Warmer Kits

Tried, tested, and touted as one of the best hot wax machine kits on the market, this self waxing kit stands out for a couple of reasons:

First off, it’s super good quality. I mean it, this is basically salon grade waxing kit. It’s got multi-temperature controls so that no matter what wax you’re warming, it’s always the perfect temperature.

No more wondering where to buy hot wax: the warmer even comes with 3 packs of wax beads and a set of 10 wooden spatulas (no strips needed since it’s hard wax).

As far as leg wax kits go, this one is pretty great. I found that one pack of beads will do both of my legs (calves and thighs), so if you think of this as the equivalent of three trips to the salon the price pretty much speaks for itself.

The kit comes with really clear instructions too, which makes it a great choice for hot wax kit virgins- and if this is your first time using a kit like this, make sure you do a 24 hour patch test before going to town.

The major benefit of a wax warmer like this one is that you can warm the beads one day to do the patch test, and then leave them in the warmer (powered off obviously) until the next day when you’re ready to use them- all you need to do is reheat.

I guess the only complaint I’d have is that the design of the warmer itself is only so-so (it lives in the bottom of my closet when I’m not using it).

Okay so I know looks aren’t everything, but they certainly help- and the same is true for this gorgeous little wax warmer from Yeelen.

Looks aside, it performs amazingly. It’s got a thermostat control that keeps wax between 160-240 degrees automatically, which is really handy for ensuring your wax stays the right consistency throughout the entire process.

I particularly love this wax hair removal kit because it comes with four different packs of scented wax beads (although in all honesty they didn’t smell much different to one another- didn’t bother me but it’s not exactly as advertised) as well as 10 applicator sticks.

I found this warmer melts beads ever so slightly faster than other similar hot waxing machine kits, which is a plus for those who often find their time is tight when it comes to self-grooming.

Cons

This model from Wokaar is pretty similar to the Yeelen warmer in terms of specs, but there’s one very simple difference that made a big impact for me:

The lid……*drumroll*.....is see-through.

Why does this matter, you ask? Because it means you can see when the wax is totally melted without needing to open the lid (and accidentally release heat). Boom.

The melter comes with four packs of hard wax beads and a hefty set of applicator sticks too, which is really awesome because it’s a complete ready-to-use set.

The only gripe I have with this particular kit is that the thermostat turns off when the beads touching the side of the pot are melted, even though some beads in the middle are not. Basically, all that means is that you need to give the wax a little stir here and there which is not big deal.

Best of all, Wokaar is a really good value brand. The cost of this entire kit is less than I paid the last time I went for a brazilian in the salon.

Cons

If you ask me, Gigi make the best home waxing kits on the market right now- and I’m not the only one to think so.

They were made famous by their iconic Gigi brazilian waxing kit, but this particular one is the highest rated of all the waxing kits on Amazon right now.

This hard wax kit is so pro it even comes with an instruction DVD! (Which initially, I didn’t watch. Don’t do what I did. Watch it. For real.).

Also included in the kit is a pot of hard wax, pre epilation oil, post wax cooling gel, and a set of applicator sticks.

These extra products are amazing- they make such a difference to the overall waxing experience! Usually I just use baby powder before I apply the wax (check out our beginner’s guide to waxingpost to find out why), but Gigi’s prep oil is seriously the bomb. The only downside is that it’s a pretty small serving size, so after a couple of waxes I’m ready to order more!

For those who love the sound of Gigi products but aren’t into hard wax, this all-in-one soft wax starter kit is an awesome choice.

It comes with a high quality wax warmer, muslin strips, applicators, and pre and post wax treatments.

This kit is specially made for beauty therapy and aesthetician students, so you know that it’s got to be one of the more professional waxing kits out there.

If you’re planning to wax your legs and arms the most then this is the best body waxing kit for you; the soft wax and muslin strips that come in this kit are the best at grabbing those fine body hairs (and they work especially well on large areas).

As far as pro waxing kits go, this one is definitely my fave!

Pros

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All-in-one kit with every product you could possibly need

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High quality ingredients and warmer

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Best professional waxing kit on the list

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Soft wax kit is ideal for body waxing on large areas

Cons

Soft wax may not perform as well on coarse hairs (bikini, underarm, facial)

Best Microwaveable Waxing Kits

Bodyhonee is a smaller sized company in the grand waxing industry, but man they deserve to be front and center stage.

Soft wax is their expertise, and they truly have nailed the recipe.

I’m constantly on the lookout for natural alternatives to the usually chemical laden products that the market seems to be flooded with these days, which is how I ended up trying Bodyhonee’s extra strength body wax kit for the first time.

You heat up the wax in the microwave (and stick it in a bowl of hot water when you take it out to ensure it stays viscous during the waxing procedure), then apply it in a thin layer over your skin with a muslin strip on top.

The great thing about this extra strength recipe is that even though it’s soft wax, it’s still really effective at removing coarse body hairs (works really well as a bikini wax kit).

I also love the finishing oil towelettes that come with the kit too; it’s enriched with jojoba oil and chamomile extra to calm your skin down after the trauma (I feel that’s a fitting word…) of the wax.

The kit comes with 8 strips and 2 spatulas, which isn’t really enough so you’ll need to buy extra.

Love the sound of Bodyhonee’s natural formula but have your heart set on hard wax? No problemo chica.

This miracle brand also have a hard wax hair removal kit especially for use on the face, bikini line, and underarms. I actually bought this instead of my usual eyebrow waxing kit because I figured it could do the job- and it did!

Just like its soft wax sista, this hard wax kit comes with 2 wooden spatulas and a couple of finishing oil towelettes.

I tried it out on my upper lip first and it worked perfectly in one single application. When I went to use it on my underarms it was effective, but I had to go over the same spot twice to get all the hairs off (although that may be because the angle was a little trickier to get 100% right the first time).

All in all this is an awesome natural alternative to the other hard wax products on the market.

Their all-natural hard wax formula uses lovely ingredients like beeswax, canola oil and chamomile extract to create a wax that’s both gentle enough to use on sensitive skin but powerful enough to tackle even the hairiest of body fluff cases.

This pack comes with wax, 3 spatulas, and after care oil. The wax comes in a little metal pan (which you should NOT use in the microwave) for you to heat up on the stove or in a wax warmer if you have one.

What I love about Parissa wax is that it does an incredible job of sticking to each individual hair. It literally welds itself to every strand! Which means no matter how you rip it off, it’s taking all the hairs with it.

Good choice for newbie home waxers who still sometimes get the angle wrong.

If you ask me, sugaring is the new waxing. There are so many benefits of using sugar wax as a replacement for normal wax- namely, your hairs don’t need to be even half as long for sugaring (⅛ inch is fine) which means you can stay on top of your regrowth. That’s better than any brazilian wax kit I’ve ever tried!

Getting sugaring right at home can be a tricky task, but Moom makes it easy with their organic formula infused with all sorts of wonderful natural ingredients like tea tree (which is anti-inflammatory) and chamomile (to calm your skin down).

This product is ideal for people with sensitive skin thanks to its gentle formula, and it’s a game-changer for people who tend to suffer from ingrown hairs (sugaring reduces the amount of ingrowns in a big way, even on tricky areas like the bikini line).

But what I love most about this kit is that the 18 strips that come with it are reusable, you just need to wash them after use, and since sugar wax is water soluble it’s easy as pie.

Pros

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Great choice for sensitive skin

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Reduces troublesome regrowth

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Natural, organic ingredients

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Eco friendly (reusable strips)

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Hairs can be shorter than with normal waxing

Cons

There’s a little learning to do before you sugar for the first time, since the application is slightly different to traditional waxing

Bliss is a brand to keep an eye on. Their cute packaging, quality products, and value-for-money kits put them ahead of the game when it comes to the waxing world.

This kit comes with so many added extras it’s actually hard for me to keep track of them all: the wax itself, a microwaveable cup, a skin cleanser, waxing oils (one for before and one for after), 6 spatulas, and a free sample of their signature ingrown hair eliminating pads. Phew!

Their formula is gentle enough to use on sensitive skin- even on the face. No need for a dedicated eyebrow wax kit or facial waxing kit anymore, this one does it all!

Not only that, it’s super easy to use. And thanks to the awesome bright blue packaging,

I keep mine right up on top of the bathroom counter (it matches my shower curtain, why not!).

Pros

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Suitable for sensitive skin

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Great packaging

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Tons of added extras

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Can be used on body and face

Cons

It’s just a shame the ingrown hair pads are only sample sized… I wanted to have a lifetime supply after I used them first!

The Bottom Line

Microwave or wax warmer, hard wax or soft: if you sort yourself out with a good waxing kit you’ll wonder why anyone ever goes to the salon.

Happy hair removal!

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About the author Alyssa Kaye

Alyssa is a young, professional blogger living in Hoboken, NJ. Thanks to her Middle Eastern heritage, Alyssa is no stranger to unwanted hair. She has tried every laser hair removal product on the market in a quest to find the best!

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